Children First! My Personal Position

Trustees are the only elected officials in Canadian governance that have a specific responsibility for children and youth. I am honoured to have served as a trustee for 20 years and to have been one of those working for children’s interests.

Public education is important as most children spend at least six hours of every day in public schools. Schools produce citizens, and promote values such as tolerance, respect, honesty and responsibility. They create a unifying experience for all who attend and especially those who come from different backgrounds. As gatekeeper for entrance to post-secondary education and the skilled trades, public education is the route out of poverty.

Education’s main role is to instruct. But children will not be able to benefit fully if: they start school unready to learn; have many disruptions in their education because of frequent changes in accommodation; have little access at home to books, the internet and a quiet place to study; see little relevance in schooling; do not see their background respected and understood by teachers; and do not have programs that fit their needs. They will drop out if they are not engaged. For all these reasons, schools to be successful at ensuring student achievement need the support of their community, and children and their families need access to co-ordinated services. 

However, children’s services are fragmented and sometimes inadequate.  Federal programs work in isolation from provincial programs for children and youth.  There are disconnects between different provincial programs. Education tends to be in a sector on its own. There is no strategic children’s plan at any level of government.

The lack of co-ordinated planning is most troubling for young children and youth who are at risk. For example, education plans are not automatically an important component of care for children in foster homes. Children whose families are living on social assistance are penalized by poverty and barriers to further education.  Urban aboriginal youth are outside most federal programs. As for children who are looking after adults, they fall through the cracks. 

There is still not adequate funding for the early years (see the Spectator’s December 11 editorial) and a universal child-care program is needed. Mental health services are limited.  Adequately funded universal, targeted and specialized programs that will reach all children are required. So there is a continued need for better services that are integrated among municipal,  provincial and federal levels of government, and different departments and ministries.

However, there are new initiatives.  The Province’s recent announcement that it will work to reduce child poverty by twenty-five percent in five years is an important step towards an integrated approach to children’s issues.  The Best Start initiative is providing co-ordinated care and support to families with young children; there are sixty-nine programs in the Hamilton- Wentworth District School Board’s ninety-eight elementary schools. The Hamilton Round Table on Poverty Reduction recognizes the importance of early childhood education, instruction, training and after- school programs for poverty reduction. School boards are focussing on student achievement and emphasizing equity. Parenting and Early Literacy centres have opened in schools. Community partners are providing enrichment in the arts and the environment, after-school programs, home-work clubs, mentors and coaches. SISO provides Swish workers to support new immigrant families.  Urban boards of education are receiving new funds for at-risk students such as Focus on Youth. New programs are helping students find pathways to work and post secondary education.   There is more awareness of children’s issues than ever.

So I have hope for the future and look forward to the day when Hamilton is the best place to raise a child.

Judith Bishop 17.12 2008